The Trump administration celebrated St. Patrick’s Day on Monday by inviting the controversial Irish MMA star Conor McGregor to the White House, spurring excitement from conservatives and disdain from liberals.
McGregor appeared in videos with White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt and Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth, and spoke out against what he saw as Ireland’s failing leadership.
“Our government is the government of zero action with zero accountability,” McGregor said of his homeland in a video shared by Elon Musk. “The illegal immigration racket is running ravage on the country.”
Beyond the photo op, McGregor’s well-documented support of President Donald Trump, and his shared distaste for mass migration, it wasn’t exactly clear what the purpose of the visit was.
Liberals soon pointed out the particular irony of the White House hosting a man who was found liable for rape in a high-profile civil case in Ireland last November.
“A jury in Ireland found Conor McGregor liable for assault,” wrote one reporter on X. “This is the same party whose president made a big deal about deporting rapists and criminals.”
“What a disgrace,” one Irishman wrote alongside a screenshot of gruesome details from his assault case. “Conor McGregor is roundly despised in Ireland. Only the most hateful of racists have any time for him.”
Others noted the administration’s pattern of welcoming men who have been accused of, and in some cases convicted of, sexual assault, including Hegseth and Trump himself.
“Birds of a feather,” one popular liberal X account said.
But if Trump supporters have their way, the real purpose of McGregor’s visit may be to propel his own right-wing political career back home.
“Conor McGregor Prime Minister of Ireland?” asked one prominent MAGA social media influencer.
“The Irish people can save themselves by making Conor McGregor Prime Minister,” another right-wing media figure added. “He’s spewing FACTS right here.”
Their hopes aren’t completely unfounded. In 2023, before his assault verdict but while under investigation for incitement, McGregor touted himself as a populist pick for Ireland’s next leader in a post on X.
“It would not be me in power as President, people of Ireland,” he said. “It would be me and you.”
A number of Trump supporters flooded McGregor’s replies, encouraging him to make the leap into electoral politics.
“I think you could take them all single-handed,” wrote Musk. “Not even fair.”
Irish voters aren’t so sure. In a December 2023 survey by the Irish Independent, 89% of those polled said they would not vote for McGregor for public office.
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